This invention relates in general to a leveling device and more particularly to a two-piece adjustable leveling wedge for use in the mobile home industry.
It is often necessary for an object to be on a level plane for proper operation. If the object is not level it will be unstable and have a tendency to "rock". On a small scale, an example of this problem would be a chair with one leg shorter than the others. This annoying problem is often solved by placing a wad of paper under the short leg until the chair is again level and stable. On a larger scale, the same type of problem exists when a mobile home is being set up. As can be appreciated, a homeowner doesn't want a home that "rocks" or is in any way unstable.
Presently, a mobile home is initially set-up on concrete blocks, but this normally does not place the home on a level plane. Standard concrete blocks and half blocks are typically used whether the home is set up on a concrete pad or just on the ground. The person setting up the home must test the perimeter of the mobile home for levelness and make the proper adjustments. This is normally done by jacking the home up, testing an area of the home for levelness and adjusting it up or down until it is level. When the mobile home has been adjusted to levelness, often there will be a gap between the concrete blocks and the frame of the mobile home. This problem is currently solved by placing shimstock or other filler material between the concrete blocks and the frame of the mobile home to fill the gap. Sometimes this shimstock is capped with a piece of metal to more evenly distribute the weight of the home so as not to crush the wood. Once this procedure has been done, it is often necessary to repeat this process because when other areas of the home are adjusted to levelness, this often has the effect of making a previously leveled area unlevel. Again the mobile home must be jacked up, the shimstock removed, the home readjusted to a level plane. The shimstock is again added or removed to fill the gap created. Often this shimstock is forced into place by wedging the shimstock into place with a hammer. This can split the shimstock and thereby lessen its long-term effectiveness. As it is, the shimstock is often subject to destruction or degradation by the elements of nature. If a cap is not used, the shimstock can be crushed and, with time, the levelness of the home will change and must be completely releveled.
If the shimstock used to level the mobile home degrades and the home again become unlevel, the time consuming process of leveling the home must be repeated. Under the current method employed, shimstock or other material to be used in leveling a mobile home or other object must be obtained in sufficient quantities from a lumberyard. There is no uniformity of the shimstock used and whatever is available is used. This can lead to inconsistent and unreliable grades of shimstock or material being used to level a home. The shimstock also compresses under the weight of a mobile home very easily. After the first attempt to level the mobile home has been completed and the second releveling procedure is started, the entire process of testing the level of the mobile home at each particular point and then adding or removing shimstock must be repeated. This is a very time consuming procedure as there is no quick way to adjust the shimstock to the necessary amount on the second pass. There is currently no quick, uniform or sturdy method of filling the gaps created by this leveling procedure. The use of shimstock to solve this problem is time-consuming and inefficient. Also, the shimstock is generally not reusable if the home needs to be releveled at a later date.
It is thus evident that there is a need for a leveling device in industries where shimming devices are used, especially the mobile-home industry, that is reusable, saves time, strong, uniform, dependable, adjustable and efficient. It is a primary object of the present invention to provide such a leveling device.
The present invention is directed to a leveling device that can be used in any industry when shimming is required and especially in the mobile home industry. In accordance with the invention, a two-piece leveling wedge with corresponding teeth on one piece and grooves on the other serves as the shimming device. The walker-platform piece can be quickly adjusted up or down the ramp-base piece to the necessary height to fill a gap. This device also provides a metallized platform for structural strength.
It is an object of this invention to provide an adjustable leveling device constructed to perform in a variety of situations.
It is a further object of the present invention to provide a leveling device that is structurally strong enough to withstand at least 10,000 pounds of weight.
It is a still further object of this invention to provide a leveling device that is constructed to resist destruction and degradation by the elements of nature.
It is another object of this invention to provide a leveling device that is quickly and easily adjustable to a variety of heights so that a wide range of use is possible.
It is still another object of this invention to provide an adjustable two-piece leveling wedge having a bottom ramp with two columns of louvred grooves providing a base for a smaller platform having two columns of corresponding louvred teeth that when aligned with the grooves, can be coupled together in a secure manner while remaining capable of being adjusted.